


Not There Yet

by seraphina_snape



Series: Team Thief V-Day Ficlets [6]
Category: Leverage
Genre: Gen, Past Relationship(s), Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-17
Updated: 2013-02-17
Packaged: 2017-11-29 13:25:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/687460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seraphina_snape/pseuds/seraphina_snape
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first Valentine's Day after the divorce.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not There Yet

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Team Thief V-Day Love Fest. This ficlet is for [**lavendergaia**](http://lavendergaia.livejournal.com/profile).
> 
> Please see end of the work for a warning.

Maggie dropped her keys in the bowl by the front door and headed straight for the bedroom, pausing only to throw her coat and bag onto the sofa as she passed through the living room. In the bedroom, she took off her shoes with a sigh and hit the button on the answering machine. Maggie moved to the bathroom while the first message - a telemarketer trying to sell her insurance - played. She was back in the bedroom unfastening her blouse when the second message started. 

"Maggie. Mags. I know we--"

Maggie hit the delete button with so much force that she chipped a nail. The answering machine beeped and informer her that there were no other messages. With forced calmness, Maggie deleted the first message as well and unplugged the phone. 

She didn't need Nate to call _again_. 

Mostly because she wasn't sure she wouldn't pick up, and that wouldn't end well for either one of them. It had ended badly at Thanksgiving and even worse at Christmas, and she didn't need it now. Not on top of the pitying glances and fake encouragement from everyone at work. Or the numerous stories of all the fabulous dates people were going tonight. If she called Nate back--

But she wouldn't. 

The love she and Nate had shared had died with Sam. No. Not died. She still loved Nate and she always would. She didn't know how not to love Nate. But their love had mutated, turned into something ugly and shattered and oozing with pain and misery. They were both too wrapped up in grief and loss to take care of each other and once they realized they were moving apart instead of banding together it had already been too late to fix it.

Their love had been supposed to last forever. _For better or for worse_. Only they had lost sight of that in between the day when Sam had been admitted to the hospital and the day they'd buried him. 

Maggie finished undressing and went back into the bathroom. The bathtub was nearly filled up and she turned off the faucet, testing the water with her hand. Almost too hot to stand. That meant it would be perfect when she came back from getting the bottle of wine, the box of chocolates and the cheesiest romance novel she'd been able to find during her lunch break today.

With Nate, before Sam's death, Valentine's Day had been sweet and comfortable and full of love. Last year, they'd been in the middle of their divorce and Maggie had still been too raw from her loss to even think about romance or dating. This year, she was pampering herself, indulging in all of the simple pleasures that would help her relax and let go. 

Tomorrow, she'd have her first date with Andrew, an art collector she'd met at work. He'd asked her out the day before, but they'd both agreed that Valentine's Day, even if it was conveniently located on a Friday, was not the ideal day for a first date. 

Maggie opened the box of chocolates and popped one into her mouth, letting it slowly melt while she opened the bottle of wine and poured herself a glass. She sank into the hot water with a sigh, consciously relaxing her muscles until she felt warm and almost sleepy. Taking another chocolate, Maggie reached for her book. 

She was still hurting - the wound Sam's loss had torn into her soul might never heal completely and she would always carry Nate in her heart - but she was getting better. She had a great job, a lovely little apartment and a date with a very nice man. 

Valentine's Day still tasted a little bittersweet for now, but she was almost excited for the next one. For the first time in a long while, Maggie felt herself looking forward to the future. 

She smiled and started reading.

**Author's Note:**

> canon character death of a secondary character (Nate and Maggie's son) mentioned


End file.
